Link: Finebaum: "I Was the Middle Man" when Alabama Contacted Spurrier in 2006

[dayhiker]

Re: Finebaum: "I Was the Middle Man" when Alabama Contacted Spurrier in 2006

Finebaum is just trying to make himself look like more than he is - the SEC's version of Jerry Springer...

Who wants to throw the first chair?

 

[JIB]

Re: Finebaum: "I Was the Middle Man" when Alabama Contacted Spurrier in 2006

SS has had success at USC - USC! - he would have won big here, but not CNS big. SS is a GREAT coach, zero question, as he's proved by his relative success at USC (remember, they were literally an historic .500 team when he took over).

For reference, here are the CURRENT all time winning percentages:
Kentucky: 0.499 (580–582–44)
USC: 0.510 (566–544–44)

Remove Spurrier from USC and they're essentially Kentucky. THAT'S what he's turned into a perennial divisional challenger in the toughest conference in the land...

Before Spurrier got to USC they had won 500 out of 1,051 games. They were actually worse than Kentucky, if you can believe it.

 

[We_are_Bama]

Re: Finebaum: "I Was the Middle Man" when Alabama Contacted Spurrier in 2006

The Gators did NOT win the 1990 SEC title. They couldn't, they were on probation.

They would have, if not for probation. In fact, they didn't even get probation until very late in the season, so they almost had it won. That would have been funny if they won the conference and then the news of probation hit. Instead, the title that year went to good ole rocky flop by default.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Re: Finebaum: "I Was the Middle Man" when Alabama Contacted Spurrier in 2006

He got the #1 recruit in the nation to attend SC. He got the #1 RB in the nation to attend SC another year. He got the top WR in the nation to attend SC another year. You really think his recruiting would have been worse at Bama than it's been at SC???

I'm glad to see this story come out. Lots of my Bama friends have maintained that contact was never made, but from this end I've spoken to more than one player at the time and they always felt serious contact was made. Spurrier had fun with it but he looked at SC job as an unfinished challenge. No knock on Bama just couldn't leave things undone at USC. Remember, Miami also contacted Spurrier that same year.

As for fans preferring Saban over Spurrier at the time, I don't think Saban was a serious contender yet when Spurrier's name was on the table. Us Bama fans are quick to forget that the job was RR's to take before Saban became a real candidate. Very good for Bama & USC that things went the way they did.

On the contrary, CNS was a very serious candidate, his agent having contacted Mal first. However, this thread has turned into a "he said - she said" thread and is dealing in rumor, so "snick."